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Sanity and balance for modern life

Tag Archives: Balance

Lately my stress levels have been out of control. I’m pretty much miserable these days. Between {what seems like} living out of bags and sharing a small house with five other people, life is really hectic. While the end of our construction is in sight, we’re not quite to the finish line yet and I’m beyond ready to have my own home again!

For those of you that may not know, I struggle with anxiety. It’s something that I have {honestly} dealt with my entire life on some level or another. One of my biggest issues is the inability to turn off my thoughts – and the fact that I typically have 2-3 thoughts running through my mind at one time. It’s tiring. Very tiring.

I do have some go-to relaxation strategies that work for me: deep breathing, an “it’s all good” mantra, and aromatherapy are life savers. But, I’ve also realized that getting regular exercise benefits more than just my figure – it is an excellent way to regulate my mood and keep ” Agatha” (who my husband refers to as my alter-ego) in hibernation.

Many reports reveal that consistently getting 20-30 minutes of exercise is a great way to keep moods in check. Even going for a walk, as this report suggests, can take a seemingly big problem down to something more manageable.

For the most part it doesn’t really matter what type of exercise I get – whether it’s dancing, yoga, lifting weights, or going for a run, moving my body seems to settle my thoughts into their respective corners of my mind. Still, you may want to refrain from attempting much more than a simple sun salutation when life gets a little hairy {let’s just say that trying hot yoga during a particularly difficult time in my life was not one of my wiser choices!}.

So if your life feels taxing or you find yourself in a tizzy more than usual, try squeezing in a few minutes of movement each day. Maybe turn off the tv or put down the electronics and get your heart rate going, and hopefully you’ll be able to keep your “Agatha” in hibernation a little longer too!

OTmama is written by Molly Whipple Harris, MS, OTR/L – an occupational therapist specializing in sharing strategies for designing a balanced, healthy, wellness-driven lifestyle for the modern mother and family. OTmama can be found on Facebook and Twitter.